What Age Do Goldendoodles Calm Down?
Goldendoodles are active and joyful dogs with a zest for life. If you adopt a Goldendoodle into your family – expect a vibrant and energetic dog for life. The same is true for many other Poodle mix breeds like the energetic Cockapoo.
Young Goldendoodle puppies in particular, though, are energy-packed. They can be so over-energetic that some owners start to despair. So at what age do Goldendoodles calm down?
At what age do Goldendoodles calm down?
There is light at the end of the tunnel for a worried Goldendoodle owner. There are three stages of Goldendoodle energy level to pass through. Although you should always expect an energetic and upbeat dog – the overall excitement level will lessen as they age and progress.
Expect a Goldendoodle to calm down around 12-18 months of age. They will be past the puppy stage and into adulthood. Although you might see a reduction after the puppy teeth are lost at 6-8 months, don’t celebrate too soon.
Expect energetic and sometimes crazy behavior until they transition into the adult phase. This can be delayed an entire year or more for some dogs also.
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The three stages of Goldendoodle personality aging are
- Puppy stage (with relentless high energy)
- Adult phase (high energy but gradually diminishing)
- Senior phase (a more restful very senior Goldendoodle)\
Your Goldendoodle is going to spend much of its life in the second phase. The craziest level of energy and frantic personality will occur in the first puppy stage of development.
A Hyperactive Goldendoodle puppy
Most Goldendoodles are going to be more than a little energetic. Expect exciting behavior, zoomies, plenty of licking, and boundless curiosity. It is this curiosity that can lead even the gentlest and kindest Goldendoodle into becoming a bit naughty.
Even if your Goldendoodle is a standard or larger size – they will still mentally be a puppy for a long time. Even if they are so tall that they can stretch upright and be taller than you!
Larger sized Goldendoodles sometimes give their owners slightly more hassle with the frenetic energy. This is not because larger sized Goldendoodle is more likely to be crazy – it is because their antics and power are more destructive because of their size.
We just need to expect Goldendoodle puppies to be frantic, overexcited, and sometimes to get so wound up they forget their manners. Positive reinforcement and food as a motivating treat ned to be used form early on to start the glacially slow training process for a crazy Goldendoodle.
So when should you expect change? The transition from Puppy into Adult Goldendoodle in terms of behavior will occur anywhere from 12-18 months.
It should be noted that transitioning into the adult phase is not a magic bean solution to a hyperactive Goldendoodle expect some of the behavior to continue! But now you are through the woods if you are consistent and the training is positive – you can expect less NEW destructive or hyper behaviors to occur.
Tips for dealing with a hyper Goldendoodle puppy
Usually, during the puppy phase, most CRAZY Goldendoodle behavior can be attributed to a single cause. The primary issue is one of over excitement.
Goldendoodles have a zeal for life and an outgoing personality to match. This is one of the reasons they are so popular as a dog for families with children.
As puppy’s though, they cannot modulate their excitement and will engage in undesirable behavior. Reprimanding will often not achieve the desired result. At this early stage (up to the 18 months), diversion AND prevention are typically a better approach to minimize over excitement.
Three tips to reduce a hyper and overexcited Goldendoodle puppy include
- Don’t reward excited behavior
- If your puppy is hyper excited – it is super cute
- It is our role as the mature humans though to ensure that if we spot hyperactive behavior – to modify our own reaction to pull the handbrake on the situation
- A great example is a dog that is extremely excited when you get home
- Nothing feels as delightful as the sheer tidal wave of excitement an excited Goldendoodle puppy gives when you get home
- However, instead of saying OH MY WHAT A PUPPY YOU ARE SO CUTE and encouraging the confusion – we actually need to… ignore the dog when we first get home
- Otherwise, the act of arriving home becomes an exciting trigger
- This will lead to pining, problem barking, and other troubles associated with over excitement
- Secondly, you should try to exercise and tire our your Goldendoodle daily
- Don’t overdo it, but a brisk walk with an adult Goldendoodle, a trip to the dog park or some active paly using toys will help tire your Goldendoodle puppy out
- Mentally stimulate your Goldendoodle
- A bored Goldendoodle will get overly excited when something unusual happens (and boredom can also hurt a dog’s feelings)
- A mentally enriched dog will be busy mentally and prone to fewer overreactions when excitement does occur
- Consider indoor dog games and activities – it does not need to be complicated!
Use Nose work to Calm Down a Crazy Goldendoodle
The inability to focus and lack of concentration are primary aspects of crazy Goldendoodle behavior. There are easy things you can do with your dog at home to engage their attention and promote calmness.
Nose work (scent training) is a simple and easy pastime for Goldendoodles that wears them out mentally and physically – and can easily be performed indoors.
A great way to distract your crazy Goldendoodle AND get them to concentrate is to start with some nose work or sniff training.
As you can see in this video of a Labradoodle puppy beginning scent training, it can initially be a straightforward scenario.
- Primarily you play hide and seek with the desired food treat. These are called “hides”
- You use empty cardboard boxes, to begin with – and then spread out to other hides around the hose
- There are plenty of places you can hide treats!
- Dried liver snacks, boiled chicken, even capsicum or grated cheese can be used as hides
- Reward each find with an extra set of treats
- Progressively make the hides more difficult as the days and weeks progress
- Examples include getting the dog to reach its nose into a box
- Place the hides in a plastic container or something that has noise
- Reduce the total number of hides but put our more places to search
- Although Goldendoodle rarely lack confidence, the gradual increase in difficulty will help boost self-assuredness
- The act of sniffing is both mentally and physically tiring for a Goldendoodle. Win-win!
When an older Goldendoodle Acts Crazy or Hyper
Once a Goldendoodle transitions into the adult phase of its life, it often sees a reduction in the total intensity of the crazy or manic behavior. Do not expect it to completely disappear, though! Goldendoodles are brimming with energy and have a zeal for life that lasts for… life.
If there are learned behaviors not redirected as a puppy – you can expect these to continue later. This is why problem chewing needs to be deal with early. Another common issue is that of excessive barking.
Goldendoodles can have a booming bark. Loud even for the dog of their size! All size Goldendoodles from teacup right through the bigger standard Goldendoodles or sturdily built English Goldendoodles can have a loud and alarming bark.
Barking is a natural behavior, and it is not reasonable to expect a Goldendoodle to never bark. Problem barking, however, is a behavioral issue that can be addressed. If left unchecked, it will annoy neighbors and just be a general nuisance!
Here is a guide covering how to identify the causes of problem barking in Goldendoodles and determines the effective strategies to cut back on the behavior.
Our Goldendoodles may be smart – but sometimes we have to baby them and play tricks (like warning the postman OR blocking out windows) to stop excessive barking.
When an Older Goldendoodle Bites or Keeps Mouthing
It is usual for puppies to mouth and bite. These are soft non harming nips that do not hurt the owner or pierce the skin. If this transitions into biting OR continues after 12 months of age – you need to quickly implement at-home training or seek advice from a professional.
Play biting should drop off significantly once the puppy teeth have been replaced. This occurs by around 8 months of age. Do not tolerate biting that causes harm at any age.
If the biting habit persists and it not addressed – you will have a lifetime of troubles with the dog. The ramifications to yourself, your family, – and the issues taking the dog in public will further compound into making your crazy Goldendoodle act our even more.
At what age is a Goldendoodle entirely calm?
The conventional wisdom for a Goldendoodle is that any hyper or crazy behavior should have plateaued by three years of age.
Consider 2.5-3 years to be the baseline. If you are still experiencing crazy or boisterous behavior by 2.5 years of age –expect a lifetime. If it is upsetting the family dynamic, you may need to consider more intense obedience training or the help of an in-home dog trainer to overcome the issues.
I asked two Goldendoodle owners with older dogs. They have commented in the past their thoughts on when Goldendoodles become entirely calm.
Laura (with Marlie a standard size Goldendoodle female age 6) wrote
“We had terrible problems very early on with Marlie biting and chewing everything. She also barked at everything and would pine whenever we left her alone. We were so worried she was a bit of a handful in those times. Thank goodness the biting and chewing stopped after she lost her baby teeth at 6 months. The rest of the crazy only really reduced at around age 2. Marlie is still very active and cheerful, but we love her, and it is very manageable.”
Sydney (with Benson a medium Goldendoodle 4.5 years she says “is a very good boy”) wrote
“Benson still jumps up on us when he is excited. We keep him extremely active and tire him out daily to reduce the craziness. He never has been hyper too much – but was naughty till around age 3. He tested us! We had to wait so long for him to mature.”
The best distraction is clever and durable toys
Although taking your dog for. Walk or engaging in mindful indoor activities is ideal – we don’t usually have the time. Luckily there are ingenious dog toys that will distract our Goldendoodles and reduce the amount of hyper crazy moments we have.
You can tire your dog out with a bunch of different toys, but nothing really beats the good old fashioned Kong. A puzzle toy that then gives treats later turns into a sweet-smelling (for your Goldendoodle) chew toy once the frozen goodies are gone.
Learn how to best stuff a Kong and make a Kong-tail in our detailed guide.
Elderly Goldendoodles – The Final Stage of Calmness
Goldendoodles have a long lifespan. The smaller ones often live for over fifteen years. Find out how long you should expect your particular type of Goldendoodle to live here.
In their old age – expect a degree of calmness from your dog that might be a touch of surprise. After all – this calm comes only once the Goldendoodle turns ten years of age. After a decade of exuberant excitement – it would be nice to have a serene and calm final run with your beloved dog. Pamper them!
Conclusions for when Goldendoodles calm down
A hyper or crazy acting Goldendoodle can be a severe problem to address. The solution is going to be a combination of time, training, and patience.
Redirecting problem behaviors and positive reinforcement are key. Working through each problem (e.g., deal with the problem barking, then deal with excessive licking) in order is critical. Solve each issue, and one by one, you will improve the calmness of your Goldendoodle.
- Time passes, your dog ages – and typically will become calmer
- Consider scent training and nose work
- Exercise is vital – a tired dog is a calm dog
- Don’t forget puzzles games and mental enrichment to tire the mind of your smart Goldendoodle
- Socialization in a calm manner with children, strangers, and other dogs
Give it time and follow the strategies above – rest assured your Goldendoodle will calm down. Just remember they are fun-loving, people-loving AND will have the life energy – so don’t expect miracles.
